COVID-19 pandemic and the Urban poor: the relevancy of Uganda’s social protection measures

Abstract

Globally, governments are faced with the double challenge of controlling the COVID-19 pandemic while ensuring the social and economic survival of their citizens. The urban poor are uniquely affected by the impact of the pandemic, requiring comprehensive social protection measures to cushion the poor and vulnerable individuals and families. Informed by a social justice theoretical framework, this chapter focuses on the social protection responses by the Ugandan government against the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of protecting its vulnerable population against life-threatening social and economic risks, the Ugandan government has focused more on controlling the pandemic at the expense of other social services. Findings reveal the exclusionary nature of social protection measures and the tendency of relief strategies to benefit a few undeserving instead of the poor and needy individuals and families; shocks or crises can exacerbate inequalities, and so can policy responses to mitigate the impact of these crises or shocks. The chapter recommends adaptable and flexible social protection strategies that are underpinned by a social justice lens. The chapter further points to the need to establish a specific database to guide social protection for the most vulnerable for now and in case of future emergencies. This goal could be achieved through strengthening community surveillance to maintain the social protection during emergencies and the need for social safety nets for the most vulnerable in society, even in a liberalised society.